LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Clark County School District senior doesn’t just spend her days at home studying. She’s also getting involved with an organization responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Rancho High School senior Denises Justo stays busy during the pandemic.
“I have a lot of AP classes right now,” Justo said. “So they’ve been sending me a lot of homework to get prepared for the AP exams.”
Her focus at the moment though extends beyond distance learning. This Rancho High School senior wants to make a difference in the community.
“I did want to do something during my time here like I didn’t just want to like sit around,” Justo said.
Justo currently volunteers with the Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus. She makes phone calls from her home to people who request help from the organization.
“I’ll fill out a log of like their symptoms,” Justo said. “If they need groceries or bills paid and stuff like that.”
She is offering assistance while watching her three younger siblings when her single mother goes to work each night.
CD: “Why was it so important for you to get involved and volunteer during the pandemic instead of just staying at home and studying?
DJ – “I care a lot about my community and also I want to like major in medicine, like when I when I go to college.”
Justo plans to attend Grinnell College in Iowa and pursue a career in medicine, leaving Las Vegas to continue her long list of academic accomplishments as seen in this education resume.
“Giving back to the community is part of like what a leader should do, and like, being in leaders and training, the leadership program, I’ve been taught a lot that like I need to be active in my community in order to make a change,” Justo said.
